Animal exterminating device



Jan. 3, 1956 D. w. MEALEY ANIMAL EXTERMINATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22,1953 Dav/a W. Mea/ey IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,729,017 ANIMAL EXTERMINATING nnvrcn David W.Mealey, Foster, Oreg. Application September 22, 1953, Serial No. 381,670

3 Claims. (Ci. 43-84) The present invention relates to a device which isexpressly constructed for exterminating animals, for example, rodentssuch as gophers, moles and the like who inhabit burrows.

, More specifically, the invention has to do with a novel structuraldevice which is animal actuated, is erected for use adjacent the burrowor hole and which, when it is tripped serves to close an electriccircuit which, in turn, sets off anelectric blasting cap in the entranceportion of the hole, resulting in extenninating the victim.

Briefly summarized, the invention is characterized by cooperatingmechanical and electrical expedients which cooperate mutually in acombination utilizing an electrical gap adapted to be stationed in theentrance portion of a gopher hole, primary and secondary wireselectrically connected with said blasting cap, a battery, said primarywire being co'nnectedwith said battery, a current conducting circuitmake and break pendulum, the lower end of which is adapted to be locatedin said entrance portion, relatively stationary support means includinga circu-itcontact element, said secondary wire being electricallyconnected with said element, the upper end of said pendulum beingpivotally suspended from said support means and a portion of saidpendulum having circuit make and break cooperation with said element,and a third wire connected atone end with said battery and at its otherend with said pendulum.

The device from a mechanical standpoint is characterized by a verticallyelongated stick having an anchor at its lower end to be forced into theground, an upper arm joined at one end to said stake, an insulatoradjustably mounted on said upper arm, a lower arm having one endadjustably mounted on said stake, the other end of said arm having acontact eye, a binding post adjustable on said lower arm, a pendulumhaving its upper end pivotally suspended from said insulator and itsintermediate portion passing downwardly through said eye, and a secondbinding post, the latter carried by said pendulum, a sleeve adjustablymounted on said stake, a lower arm having one end adjustably anddetachably fastened to said sleeve, the other end of said lower armhaving a contact eye, a first binding post adjustably mounted on saidlower arm and movable toward and from said eye, a pendulum pivotallysuspended from said insulator with'a portion thereof extendingdownwardly through said eye and having circuit make and breakcooperation with said eye, and a second binding post adjustably mountedon said pendulum.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfromthe following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrativedrawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus or deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention, showing same erected andreadied for use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the plane of the line 22 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a similarly enlarged detail sectional and elevational viewtaken on the line 3-3 of Figure '1, looking in the direction of thearrows and showing the manner in which the pendulum,.in dotted lines,closes the circuit.

Referring now to Figure 1 wherein the complete assemblage is shown, theburrow or gopher hole is denoted generally by the numeral 4, theentrance or mouth of the hole being denoted at 6. Placed in the entranceportion at the approximate position disclosed is the afore mentionedelectrical blasting cap or equivalent explosive device 8. Any suitableelectrically detonated charge may, of course, be employed. One end 10 ofthe pri mary insulated current conductor or wireis connected to theexplosive as at 12. The other end is connected to a binding post on thedry cell or equivalent battery 14. As denoted at 16 a secondary suitablyinsulated current conducting wire 18' is connected. The other end ofthis wireis joined to a suitable binding post 20 on a sleeve 22 which isto be later described. The third wire in the end being held by asetscrew 28, said binding post being mounted ona collar or.sleeve 30whichis secured in place at 32in a manner to be described.

The circuit closing device is primarily mechanical in nature and it maybe broadly referred to as support means for the circuit make and breakarrangement. More specifically, this means is characterized by anelongate rod which is here described as a stake 34. On the lower endisan appropriate pointed anchor 36 which is driven into the groundadjacent to the hole. Mounted on the upper end of the stake is acoupling 36 best shown in Figure 2 and held in place by a setscrew 38.The coupling is internally screw threaded as at 40 to accommodate ascrew threadedistud or shank 42 on a knob 44 which assists, through themedium of the coupling and rod, to drive-the anchor 36 into the ground,This coupling is provided with a lateral upper arm 46 and an insulator43 is mounted removably on the outer end of the arm and held in place bya nut or the like 50. The insulator is constructed with an eye toaccommodate a cooperating eye which goes to make up a pivotal or hingingconnection 52 for the pendulum rod 534. The latter hangs down in themanner shown with its free end portion 56 located in the entranceportion of the hole in the manner shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Oneend portion of the third wire 24 may be wrapped around the arm and thecollar 30 may be adjustably mounted on the pendulum. The pendulum hasits intermediate portion extending downwardly through a circuit make andbreak or so-called contact eye 56. This eye is formed on one endportion, the right hand end in the drawings, of a second lower arm 56which underlies the arm 46 in general spaced parallelism but which isdetachably and adjustably mounted. That is to say, there is a sleeve 69on the stake held in place by a setscrew 62 and this sleeve is providedwith an auxiliary sleeve portion 64 through which the adjacent end ofthe arm, that is the end 66, is passed and adjustably and detachablymounted. A setscrew 68 serves to provide the desired separable adjustingconnection between the sleeves and said arm 58. This arm also serves toaccommodate the aforementioned sleeve portion of the first binding post20 making this adjustable and in fact rendering all of the partsadjustable and knockdown in form.

The apparatus, in essence, comprises, a battery, suit able wires, anexplosive device and the mechanical framework which serves as a supportmeans for the binding post and which provdies a simple circuit closingdevice near the medium of the animal actuated pendulum and thecooperating"circuit break and make eyeythedatter parts denoted by thenumerals 54 and 56 respectively. Thesectional construction simplymakes-the mechanical framework knockdown in form so that it may bereadily transported, set up and taken down for movement' from place toplace.

When a gopher is working at a location he leaves his hole plugged withearth and one has only to open' the hole, set the trap with the pendulumhanging in the center of the ring or eye and with the explosive chargein the hole in the' manner illustrated in thedrawings in dotted lines.Experimental use of the device shows that electrical blasting capsfunction exceptionally well and are 'safe if handled as directed. It issignificant that the cap should first'be placed'in'the holebefore'attaching the leads. The battery leads 1'0 and 24 ought to beat leastten'feet long and should, of course, be attached to the battery'as afinal step after the trap is in order with the pendulum hanging in theexact center of the eye 56. It will beclear that when the gopher pushesthe dirt against the hanging lower end of the pendulum electricalcontact is made between the pendulum 54 and the contact eye 56completing the electrical circuit to the detonator and, of course,exploding the cap and resulting in the extermination of the unwaryvictim.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction shown and described, and accordingly 'all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling withinthe'scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a verticallyelongated stake having an anchor at its lower end to be forced into theground, a horizontally disposed upper arm joined at one end to saidstake and extending laterally therefrom, an insulator adjustably mountedon the other end of said upper arm, a lower arm horizontally disposed ina plane below said upper arm and having one end adjustably mounted onsaid stake, the other end of said arm having a contact eye, a bindingpost adjustable on said lower arm, a pendulum having its upper endpivotally suspended from said insulator and its intermediate portionpassing downwardly through and below said"eye,"and a second bindingpost, the latter'carried'by said pendulum.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a verticallyelongated stake having an anchor at its lower end to be forced into theground, an upper arm joined at one end to said stake, an insulatoradjustably mounted on said upper arm, a sleeve adjustably mounted onsaid stake, at lower arm having oneend adjustably and detachablyfastened to said sleeve, the other end of said lower arm having acontact eye, a first binding post ad justably mounted on said lower armand movable toward and from said eye, a pendulum pivotally suspendedfrom said insulator with a portion thereof extending downwardly throughsaid eye and having circuit make and break cooperation with said eye,and a second binding post adjustably mounted on said pendulum.

3. In a device of the class described, a vertically elongated stakehaving an anchor at its lower end to be driven into the ground, acoupling removably mounted on the upper end of said stake, said couplingbeing internally screw threaded, a knob having a screw threaded shankscrewed into said coupling, an upper arm secured at one end to saidcoupling, an insulator removably and detachably mounted'on said upperarm, a sleeve adjustably mounted on said stake, a lower arm having oneend adjustably and detachably fastened to said sleeve, the other end ofsaid lower arm having a contact eye, a first binding post adjustablymounted on said lower arm and movable toward and from said eye, apendulum pivotally suspended from said insulator with a portion thereofextending downwardly through said eye and having circuit make andbreak'cooperation with said eye, and a second binding post adjustablymounted on said pendulum.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS451,839 Picard May 5, 1891 921,204 Cox May 11, 1909 1,366,872--Cantleberry June 5, 1921 1,481,075 Strouse -a Jan.- 15, 1924 1,754,360Hendricks Apr. 15,1930 2,598,529 Fritz May 27, 1952

